Macau is further enhancing its e-governance by launching yesterday “Easy Pickup” smart lockers at the government’s six 24-hour self-service centres, expanding the functions on the “Macao One Account” and setting up new self-service kiosks of the Identification Services Bureau (DSI) and vending machines of the Printing Bureau’s (IO) publications, according to a joint press conference.

The Public Administration and Civil Service Bureau (SAFP), Commercial Services Bureau of the Guangdong-Macau In-depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, Identification Services Bureau, Printing Bureau, Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) and Legal Affairs Bureau (DSAJ) co-hosted a press conference yesterday about the new e-government services, at China Plaza in Nam Van.

‘Easy Pickup’ smart lockers

SAFP Director Ng Wai Han said at the press conference that in view of the fact that some members of the public still have a certain degree of need for certified copies of documents and that they have to go to the respective public entities to pick up their documents, the government has, therefore, launched its Easy Pickup smart lockers, adding that those who request the new service can now also pick up their documents from the smart lockers, thus enabling a 24-hour self-service to reduce the amount of time they spend dealing with government services.

The six government 24-hour self-service centres with smart lockers are located in China Plaza on Avenida da Praia Grande, the Government Services Centre in Areia Preta, Fai Tat Building in Fai Chi Kei district in the peninsula and at the Government Islands Services Centre and the Lago (Lake) public housing estate in Taipa, as well as at the Seac Pai Van Community Complex in Coloane.

According to the press conference, “Macao One Account” and “Business and Associations Platform” holders can, via the respective platforms and self-service kiosks – in addition to the service counters – request to pick up a total of 12 types of identification certificates, as well as DSAJ documents from the civil, commercial, motor vehicle and land registries, and IAM administrative licensing, registration of food premises and their IAM membership cards, from the smart lockers.

The list of service items in the first phase covers four public entities in the administrative and legal fields, Ng said, adding that the service will be extended, depending on their utilisation and effectiveness, to other public entities as well as the Hengqin-Guangdong-Macau In-depth Co-operation Zone in the future.

‘Macao One Account’

In order facilitate the daily life of local residents studying, working, starting up businesses and living in the cooperation zone, the government has continued to cooperate with the authorities there to extend more e-government services to the zone, including the addition of three more appointment services to the “Macao One Account”, Ng said during the press conference, which noted that members of the public can now make appointments for the renewal of their Macau ID cards (BIR), as well as the applications for their mainland driving licences, residence permits and Home Return Permits (回鄉證) in the cooperation zone.

The press conference noted that the Government Affairs Service Centre in Hengqin has also added a new self-service document collection machine to make it more convenient for local residents residing in the zone to collect their ID cards and travel documents themselves, without the need to return to Macau to handle the related matters.

In terms of the setting-up of the Government Affairs Service Centre at the Macau New Neighbourhood (MNN), Ng said that the decoration of the centre was expected to be completed in the third quarter of this year.

New DSI self-service kiosks

DSI Deputy Director Chao Wai Ieng said at the press conference that since the launch of the multi-function self-service kiosks in 2013, the number of user-times has exceeded 5.19 million, adding that the bureau launched yesterday the newly upgraded multi-function self-service kiosks to improve its integrated self-service platform and provide more convenient public services.

The new multi-function self-service kiosks have been upgraded in various aspects in terms of software and hardware to support more public entities and meet different technical requirements, including the addition of a QR code reader to read e-ID cards, My Photo and other e-certificates on the “Macao One Account”, the updating of the auto-detection camera lens and fingerprint scanner so that various services can be verified not only by fingerprint recognition but also by the new face recognition function, as well as the setting-up of a special Caring Mode for the use of the needy, in addition to an information navigation function, which, together with the enlarged and high-definition display screen, can display more information to assist the public in accessing the services provided by the kiosks.

IO publications vending machines

In order to make it more convenient for members of the public and enterprises to purchase printed materials, such as books, magazines and forms, published by the government, the Printing Bureau (IO) has set up several Government Publications Vending Machines at the 24-hour self-service centres in Nam Van, Areia Preta, Fai Chi Kei and Seac Pai Van Community Complex, according to the press conference, which noted that the vending machines are now equipped with larger screens for displaying more product information and a fully enclosed design to better protect printed materials from damage by light.

Ng Man Kuai, who heads the Printing Bureau’s Coordination and Planning Department, said at the press conference that the bureau started to set up Government Publications Vending Machines in various locations in 2021, noting that in terms of the proportion of books and magazines sold, the share of vending machines in the sale of government publications rose from 13 percent in 2023 to 26 percent in the first five months of this year, while over the same period the proportion of the sale of forms also increased. 

This photo taken yesterday shows the government’s newly launched “Easy Pickup” smart lockers at China Plaza in Nam Van. – Photo: Yuki Lei

Public Administration and Civil Service Bureau (SAFP) Director Ng Wai Han (third from right), Identification Services Bureau (DSI) Deputy Director Chao Wai Ieng (second from right), Commercial Services Bureau of the Guangdong-Macau In-depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin Deputy Director-General Yau Yun Wah (third from left), Printing Bureau (IO) Coordination and Planning Department Chief Ng Man Kuai (left), and Legal Affairs Bureau (DSAJ) Deputy Director Lou Soi Cheong address yesterday’s joint press conference about the latest e-government upgrades, at China Plaza in Nam Van. – Photo: Yuki Lei